Arkansas QB Allen's truck involved in car fire FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The misfortunes of Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen's truck continue. Police found his truck on fire early Monday and were investigating the incident as a potential case of arson. Sgt. Craig Stout of the Fayetteville Police Department said Allen's truck was one of three involved in a pair of car fires, though he said it was too early to say if the fire was related to Allen's position on the football team. "We don't ...

Razorback round-up: fast facts about the HogsThe University of Arkansas opens its 121st season of football on Saturday afternoon when the Razorbacks travel to face No. 6 Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. CDT and be nationally televised on SEC Network. 5 Hog facts • Arkansas will play the toughest schedule in the nation in 2014 according to the NCAA, with its opponents combining for a 103-54 (.656) record in 2013. • Bielema is 8-0 all-time in season-opening g...

Wonder Boys to host final preseason scrimmageThe Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys football team will host its final scrimmage of the preseason today at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field. The scrimmage is slated for a 6 p.m. start. “We’re looking forward to watching the guys on the field and seeing where we are at this important time,” head coach Raymond Monica said. “We’ll get to watch some film and start making our final preparations for our season opener against Northwestern Oklahoma.” The scrim...

by
ATU Sports InformationThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

High School Football Podcast E:1Welcome to the first ever episode of Sports Watch, a podcast brought to you by The Courier. In this episode Mickey DuVall and Travis Simpson discuss various topics concerning the Russellville Cyclones and the upcoming football season, the Pottsville Apaches and the contact rules recently set by the Arkansas Activities Association. Join us every week as we break down all the teams in the Arkansas River Valley.

Former RHS cheerleader makes Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersWhen Ashley Prochazka grew up cheering for the Russellville Cyclones cheer and dance team, she had no idea she would one day take the field as a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Prochazka won the spot earlier this summer in a competition against 500 ladies from 36 states and four countries. But it began on the sidelines at Cyclone football games and under the goal at basketball games. “In a way, being on the cheer squads, it taught me how to be an ...

Provence comes back to coach at OzarksCLARKSVILLE — After a record-setting career at the University of the Ozarks as a runner, Jeremy Provence returns to serve as the assistant men’s and women’s cross country coach, it was announced Monday by University of the Ozarks Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. Provence, a native of Bidville, is the only runner in men’s program history to earn Capital One Academic All-District honors and one of only two runners to be a member of the US Track &...

by
Ozarks Sports InformationThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Former Hog Joe Kleine to speak at Boys and Girls ClubFifteen-year NBA veteran and Olympic gold medalist Joe Kleine will speak at the Standing Ovations event held at the Arkansas Boys and Girls Club on Thursday in Russellville. Kleine, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, has been coaching at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock (UALR) for eight years. Kleine is a two-time All-Southwest Conference selection from the University of Arkansas and won an NBA Championship with the...

Bielema: Austin Allen emerges as No. 2 QBFAYETTEVILLE (AP) — Austin Allen hoped he'd have the chance to at least back up his big brother at quarterback for Arkansas this season. Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said Saturday that the redshirt freshman has earned his shot — emerging as the team's No. 2 quarterback after two weeks of preseason practice. Allen, the younger brother of starter Brandon Allen, was 10-of-21 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown in Arkansas' second preseason scri...

Kelly: No change needed in how Notre Dame recruits SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly on Saturday dismissed talk that he needs to do a better job of recruiting players who are better students to avoid the academic problems that have plagued the football program for the past 15 months. "I think we've brought in the right young men," he said. "I think we have to continue to do a better job educating them. We have to do a better job of providing the resources." The news conferen...

Arkansas State eyes continued run under Anderson As Arkansas State's fifth coach in five seasons, Blake Anderson knew there would be more than just football to attend to when he was hired after last season. Anderson's mission was to restore trust and stability for a group of players accustomed to anything but. The Red Wolves head into this season having won at least a share of the last three Sun Belt Conference championships, capped by last season's GoDaddy Bowl win over Ball State. While it...

Hogs fighting the injury bugFAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Razorbacks freshmen reserves like Tevin Beanum of Forrest City and Josh Liddell of Pine Bluff Dollarway were supposed to get a little first-team time during Wednesday morning and evening 2-a-day drills but ended up working first-team by necessity. First-team defensive end Deatrich Wise has been sidelined by a “sprained knee”during this week of closed practices, Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema revealed after Wednesday’s nigh...

Bielema expects improvement at Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Bret Bielema has experienced a new sense of excitement heading into his second season at Arkansas. Simple things — increased intensity during practice and a renewed belief — have been a welcomed reboot for both the Razorbacks coach and an entire program in desperate need exactly that after bottoming out last season. The 3-9 season, the first losing record of Bielema's head coaching career and Arkansas' worst mark sinc...

Renovation continues at U of OCLARKSVILLE — A busy summer of renovations and upgrades to the University of the Ozarks athletic facilities has generated plenty of excitement for the upcoming school year. The university is wrapping up a number of projects within the Mabee Sports Complex, which houses the men’s and women’s basketball, men’s wrestling and cheerleading/STUNT teams, as well as athletic offices and athletic training room. The largest project took place in a 4,090...

by
Ozark Sports InformationThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

All-GAC academic team includes 25 from ATUTwenty-five Arkansas Tech University student-athletes were named to Academic All-Conference squads, the Great American Conference office announced Wednesday. Golden Suns volleyball led the way with five selections, while baseball and tennis had four selections apiece. Three cross country student-athletes were named, women’s golf, softball, and football had two selections each, while men’s basketball, men’s golf, and women’s basketball each had...

Barrett to speak in Johnson CountyCLARKSVILLE — Several Johnson County football teams will come together on Thursday to help raise money for the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund (ASPSF) at the Rogers Conference Center on the University of the Ozarks campus. The Clarksville Panthers, Lamar Warriors and Johnson County Westside Rebels will be in attendance, where donations will be accepted and auctions held with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the ASPSF. Clarksville h...

Storey to enroll at ArkansasFAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Bret Bielema says that high school quarterback Ty Storey has signed a financial aid agreement with the Razorbacks and will enroll in January. Storey led Charleston High School to the Arkansas Class 3A state championship last season, throwing for 4,241 yards and 52 touchdowns as the Tigers finished 15-0. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound quarterback has been nominated for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and is listed as the ...

ATU football picked 7th in GACHenderson State, off consecutive undefeated regular seasons, garnered 10 first-place votes to emerge as the favorite to win a third Great American Conference football title, the conference office announced on Thursday. The Reddies received all possible first-place votes as coaches could not include themselves in their ballot. They return the lethal combination of quarterback Kevin Rodgers and wide receiver Darius Davis. Rodgers, a two-time Har...

Local golfers play in Falconer eventLocal golfers, including several former and current Arkansas Tech University (ATU) men’s golf players, participated Saturday in the second annual Dave Falconer Memorial Golf Tournament at Chamberlyne Country Club in Danville. The tournament raised funds for the ATU men’s golf team and is named for former golf coach Dave Falconer, who coached at Tech for over 20 years. The Friday night Shoot Out was won by Neal Westbrook, who played for Falcone...

ATU tabbed as GAC volleyball preseason favoriteFollowing a second Great American Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship crown, Arkansas Tech edged out two-time GAC regular-season champion Harding as the preseason favorite following a vote of the league’s head coaches, the conference office announced on Wednesday. The Golden Suns, third in the regular season last season, rolled through the 2013 GAC Volleyball Championships as they swept Southern Arkansas, East Central and Harding. In...

NCAA puts Henderson State on probation ARKADELPHIA (AP) — The NCAA has placed Henderson State on two years of probation and fined the school $2,500 for rules violations by the women's basketball program, including a coach offering a loan to a prospective athlete, exceeding phone contact limits and holding impermissible tryouts and practices. The penalties, which were released Tuesday, capped a three-year investigation and included show-cause orders for former head coaches Josh Matt...